Paybacks
by Dreamer1985
Summary: Sequel to Early Halloween Fun. Nick -with help- pays Elaina back for going to far on her prank/deal. It turned out to be a mixture of humor and serious.
1. Facing Deal with Truth revealed

**Fan-Fiction **

**Big Valley **

**I do not own the copyrights to Big Valley **

**Sequel to Early Halloween Fun **

**Note: Doing this because of Halloween. It is for the sake of the story I have Nick knowing Adam Cartwright, though Adam is not actually in the story- only mentioned. (Thanks to my beta reader for helpiong me, but all mistakes are my own)**

**Scene 1**

My name is Jalana and I'm a vampire -not by choice. It's dark; it's always dark - or at the very least very cloudy- when I am out. Sitting on the roof of the Barkley's barn; actually, it's the roof to the barnyard, but who's getting technical.

Anyhow, I am having second thoughts of coming here. Elaina said she'd made a deal with Nick, said I was allowed on their land. I could hunt off their cattle if I stretched my feedings into a pattern that would not ruin their business and even Nick was at my beck-and-call. Nick jumping at the snap of my finger? That's a picture I am having a hard time imagining as everything I have seen, or heard, in regards to the short-fused Stockton rancher does not match with someone bending to someone else's will just because they snap a finger.

I came this crisp fall night because I'd been doing so well, but now I am rethinking the wisdom of my decision of hoping to see that particular rancher - not to mention time frame. Snapping a finger is not something I end up having to do, I think Nick must have sensed something was not right because I heard his footsteps come out of his own accord. His eyes are darting around as if he were some wild hare trying to shake wild dog off his tracks. His feet stop as he turns and sees me sitting on the roof.

The wind is not moving and the dust under his feet moves very little. His voice is the only sound near me as the cattle have been rounded up elsewhere. "Who are you? Did Elaina send you?" Nick should have been nervous he told himself, but something about this woman seemed….out of place…or at least not what he'd expected. Was she picking at a strand of hay? Is that what she was tearing apart?

"Name's Jalana, and yes, Elaina said I had permission to come and hunt. I promise I only drained an old cow your men were talking about putting down anyway." I know my voice sounds tired - and makes the man's face contort in confusion. He is most likely thinking, '_Is that even possible_?'

Nick found himself braver than he thought he'd be when the time came to keep the deal. "You sound exhausted." Nick folded his arms across his chest.

"I am. Switching diets is not very easy." I gave a soft half-hearted chuckle knowing I was right; he was shocked with my state of being.

"Switching diets?" Nick was confused, and found Jalana interlocking her fingers instead of messing with the straw. The moon barely giving enough light to see the outline of her features.

"Animals instead of human, Martha says it takes time to adjust. I promise I was doing so well; it's the only reason I came." I am not surprised when he asks Martha is. When I tell him it is the wife of an old military buddy of his, but that I cannot say who unless he promises to keep his mouth shut because while she was fortunate to have been cured -for the most part, due to the way she was turned- her condition still fluctuated.

"I promise." Nick was surprised when Jalana told him it is Adam- Adam Cartwright.

"Well, I'll be." The man then asked why she didn't come down.

"I don't dare." The words are spoken slow and halting, a fact not missed by Nick.

"Why not?" Nick was pretty sure he could guess the answer considering what she'd just said, but figured it was safer to ask than to assume.

"I might bite you. You look really nice and smell really good. I think I might not want stop with biti…" I shock myself by being so forward and stop the train of thought. I can feel him holding back a grin of his own. However, he does not hold back the surprise over the idea of a vampire with a conscious because I can read the 'uh' in his eyes, but his words are real polite when he started speaking again.

"Well, that's real considerate of you, Ma'am." Nick found himself smiling in spite of what… who…he was talking to. "Elaina and her cohorts, Alice and Jasper, sure didn't seem to have an issue with it, even seemed to enjoy it."

I can't help it - drained or not - I bust up laughing and fall onto the dusty ground now knowing full well how she'd gotten the deal made. Of course, the laughter died quick enough as I sat up and sighed. "Oh, Nick you're so gullible at times. Should have known it would be something like that to get a deal made for me to be here. Guess once you hear the truth you'll want me gone." Unconsciously, I lowered my head wondering if my kind could cry.

"Jalana?" Nick was shocked by this vampire's actions that did not match what he'd been told -or witnessed the night he'd been bitten therefore, he forgot he was supposed to be afraid. "Are you all right?" He stepped to the fence only to find her on the opposite side of the barnyard in a flash, her eyes taking on the look of an injured animal more than anything else. Sitting up on the fence he - contrary to his reputation - actually thought before he spoke. It was the fact that she'd moved so quickly that got him to simply sit there and talk softly instead of the typical loud manner he was so well-known for. The biggest question in his mind was _Will she respond?_

Nick had no idea what was so funny about Elaina -and her friends- and while he wanted answers he knew Jalana's condition was far more urgent. He talked to this stranger as the hurt animal she was acting like; finally he was able to get close enough as to see just how serious Jalana needed to drink. "I have an idea, I'll be right back." He raced to the back porch of the house. Silas had asked Nick to dump out a bucket full of blood that had come from some rabbits Audra and he had been working with just a few hours ago - it had only made it to the porch; he hoped it was still there.

"Praise be!" He grabbed the bucket and raced as fast as he dared back to Jalana. "Drink this."

I want to argue, but know I need something and so I drink. By time I drain the bucket I am more coherent though I still feel week.

"Good grief, Jalana, how long has it been since you ate?" Nick asks - abhorred at the fact this gal stilll could not stand.

"Besides this and your old cow?" I ask still leaning with my back against the barn. The night air beginning to feel even chillier than it had been when the conversation first had begun.

"Yes." Nick's voice grew firm and took on the well-known Barkley tone of 'you _will_ tell me or else.'

"Six months. I was trying to just avoid the red stuff." I am shocked when the one called Nick cares enough to ask if I could use more, I want to deny the need but am compelled to answer honestly. "Yes, but, I can't drain any of your cattle, they're all contracted to be sold. I heard your brothers talking as they were heading into the house tonight."

"Then …" I am horrified when I see Nick pushed back his collar and roll up his sleeves, "…take some of mine from whatever spot is the best."

"Nick…I can't…" I am shocked a man with such a well-known short fuse would still step up to the plate and risk his life for someone he does not know. That's precisely what he'd be doing if I bite him. Somehow I manage to tell him that but he only barks an order for me to do exactly that. Finding I have no strength to argue, I consent only I make him promise to pull me back if he starts to get even the tiniest bit dizzy.

"I promise." I sink teeth into his flesh, how Nick does not flinch is beyond me.

**Scene 2**

The night wind picks up and begins to blow gently as I manage to pull away from Nick of my own accord, and he begins to bandage up his arm with his dark bandana. It is then I find there is enough strength in me to stand. The man has me sit down on an overturned bucket and asks me once again about Elaina, Alice, Jasper and myself.

"Elaina is a prankster, she likes to play jokes on people. She has so many books on my kind - the real facts not the horror stuff everyone repeats around campfires, I figured she knew all about my …condition." It is then I take a deep breath -or at least I think I do- and Nick patiently waits as I tell him about Alice and Jasper. Closing my eyes I take the blame myself "I'm so new at this and I didn't know coming here would…" I try again, "be…." I find myself turning away.

I can tell Nick's temper is rising, and I think it is directed at me, so I turn to leave only he gets me to face him. "This is not your fault Jalana. You had no reason to think the change in diet would affect you so bad. I could accept the prank, heck, I was a teenager once. They really did a good job at it truth be told. But, Elaina letting you come here? Without knowing all the facts in regards to your condition? That's just plain wrong and going too far." He stopped as he hears footsteps and hides me in a room full of harnesses and saddles.

"Well, hello, big brother, does mother know you are out tonight?" Heath chuckled as Nick shut the door.

"No, and why should she?" Nick forgot to stay in the shadows and realized his mistake too late.

"What happened to your arm?" Heath began to move forward only to have his brother bark it was nothing.

"Nick, I was just concerned." Heath's face twisted in confusion -he wasn't sure what to make of his brother's snapping over his question -which was sharper than he'd ever heard it before.

"Sorry, Heath didn't mean to yell. Don't worry, my arm is just fine. Just got poked is all." Nick then told his brother he was leaving early on the business trip he'd planned: in fact, he was leaving that very night.

"I'll go with you." Heath turned to the house only to be told no by his big brother; this was one trip he was making alone. When his younger brother tried to protest Nick threw out the temper bullheadedness he was known for, and Heath backed off - even if it was reluctantly. It was only when the blond cowboy was inside did Jalana step out.

"What trip are you making?" Jalana asked quietly as a coyote howled somewhere off in the dark.

"I believe we're making a trip to your century to give someone a taste of their own medicine." I went to argue with Nick only to find I was too stunned to have any chance at getting the upper hand.

"So, how do we get there?" Nick slid his arm around Jalana and grinned as she gave him an embarrassed smile. She could only find enough voice to tell him to hold on…tight.


	2. Arriving home

**Fan-Fiction **

**Big Valley **

**I do not own the copyrights to Big Valley **

**Pay Backs **

**Scene Three**

**Sequel to Early Halloween Fun **

**Note: Doing this because of Halloween and while I tried to make this one funny, it refused to come out that way. **

It is starting to grow dark as Nick and I arrive near the college. The air is warmer than it had been back at his ranch and I do not shake nearly as much. Whether, or not, that is from the weather, or the fact I have eaten - I do not know. The room Elaina rents is in a home not from the establishment, so we walk rather than to hail a cab. A fact I think is good as a taxi may be too much for the man next to me; he, I think, is considering having heart failure over all the lights and cars driving by as it is.

"Your society has gone mad." Nick growls as some kid almost knocked the couple over as he whizzed by on a skateboard.

"Come on, Elaina's place is over there." I pointed to a brown Tudor type house which appeared as we turned the corner.

Unlike the homes surrounding the boarding home, the one we head to has no lights and I open the door as Nick follows in behind me. He does not jump when I turn flip the white switch, a fact I am sure is due to his last visit. The last time he was a 'guest' was not talked about until we knocked on Elaina's door. It is only when the knock was not answered that I let us in the room.

"Is this the place she had you in?" I turned to face Nick who was scanning the attic.

"Sure is, I was held bound against that wall." He pointed to the space nearest the table which no longer held any ray gun. "Smells like milldew, someone really needs to clean those windows." The statement is cleared as Jalana begins to speak.

"Here, look." I held opened up a drawer holding various items sold at any store in town.

Nick held up fake plastic teeth, 'stick-on blood packets' and such. He couldn't help but shake his head, even chuckle a bit. The laughter quit though when Jalana showed him the many books Elaina had on her shelf.

Scanning them with his fingers, still covered by black gloves, the nineteenth century rancher picked up a red book and flipped it open. Pages, pages, and more pages told about Jalana's condition, things she could and could not do were all down in black and white. "Have you read these?" He eyed Jalana doubting she had, or she'd not have been so nervous back at the Barkley ranch, or even considered coming.

"No, not really, I…." Jalana lowered her eyes, "…have difficulty wtih comprehension. I have improved, but I am nowhere near that level."

Nick laid a hand on her shoulder and said it was okay, but he couldn't help but snort in disgust towards Elaina. "She should have known better than to send you."

"It's not all her fault, I..." I could have sworn I swallowed, "…I kind of talked about you a lot, said even with your short fuse I admired your loyalty to family and how much I wished I could meet you. I didn't mention how long it had been since I'd….ate."

Nick found himself smiling in regards to the confession of how much he'd been on her mind, but his mouth then grew tight, "Elaina still should have known to have you wait. I would think as much as she'd read that it wouldn't be hard to figure out this." His fingers pointed to a paragraph that -basically- warned against traveling backwards unless the person was 'well-equipped'; actually it mentioned a certain amount of feeding that was needed, but his way of wording it sounded better. "Has anyone ever done anything to try to tell Elaina what she does is going too far?" He asked, remembering the night he'd had the prank played on him and of the deal Elaina had demanded.

"I don't think so." I stop and a light bulb goes on, "Tauna…she's always getting after her."

'_Tauna, that's the gal that stormed into the kitchen.' _Nick began to smile a very mischievous grin. "Do you know if Tauna is available to help us tonight?"

"With what?" I wonder what the man has up his sleeves.

"Paybacks." Nick's grin grew from ear to ear.


	3. Pulling Tauna In

Fan-Fiction

Big Valley

I do not own the copyrights to Big Valley

Pay Backs 

Scene Four

Sequel to Early Halloween Fun

Tauna was vacuuming the small office/den of the five-bedroom house which rented rooms to college students when she heard footsteps coming down the hallway, but seeing as how the gal figured it was just the females students coming home she ignored the youth That is, she didn't pay attention until the sound entered the room she was cleaning. It was only then she turned around and about fell backwards over the dark brown vacuum.

"What in all that is good is _he_ doing here?" Tauna began to lay into Jalana only to have Nick bellow.

"Hold it right there!" Nick found himself growing ever protective of the gal who had fought so hard against biting him and had only caved in due to his insistence. "She is _not_ to blame here, Elaina is!"

The place was too musky for his taste and hoped the gal's cleaning would fix that. That thought was chuckled as the more mature college student was instantly on guard.

"Elaina?" Tauna ignored the cleaning appliance and crossed her arms, "What does she have to do with you being here with Jalana?" When Nick explained everything the lady who cleaned in exchange for her rent came unglued. "She what!" Nick had to grin at the yell for one reason, it was louder than his. It was a fact by heads turning in the backyard towards the house; ones that had been listening to a live band.

"You heard me, and the way I figure it I think Elaina needs a taste of her own medicine." Nick looked at Jalana and then back at Tauna, "Besides, I favor blondes." That made the gal by his side give him a soft smile.

"I have an idea." Tauna began to giggle and then to roar with laughter. "But only if you two are game."

"After what she put Jalana through by not getting her facts straight, I'm game." Nick set his jaw hard.

"I'm game too. I don't think the joke on Nick was very nice. Well, not when it comes to the part where lack of knowledge about my condition endangered my life; that part is not even close to funny." Jalana then asked Tauna what she had in mind. The radio played softly in the background as Tauna sat down and went into details of what she thought should be done. How Nick should act, what he should say, and what Jalana's commitments would be. Both started grinning a mile wide and Jalana gave a laugh, a sincere one, and one that Nick found very catching.

"So," Nick said as another grin appeared on his face as his arm slid around Jalana's waist and pulled her close, "let the act begin."

"First, you need the proper attire." Tauna held up a set of silver platted keys with a very wide smile on her face. "I know just where to get it." With that the two set off to the brand new auditorium where Tauna worked with the theatrical group. The theatre was closed up tight, but with Tauna's keys they easily got in.

Their footsteps bounced from the floor to the walls and back down again. Leftover Pine-sol could still be smelled as it lingered around the halls; meaning the janitor had run out of his standard cleaning supplies. The only lights on were the exit signs hanging at the end of each corridor.

"Nick, you and Jalana, go and make sure there is no way out of the building. If you find anything unlocked let me know. I have props to go through." With the help of Jalana, Nick had things checked out in record time and was at the door to the prop room before he knew it.

"The premises secured?" Tauna asked without looking up from the white desk where she was going through a brown box.

"Yes, Ma'am." Nick chuckled with his eyes sparkling.

"Here," Tauna said as she lifted up the box and set it on the marbled counter instead of the desk, "have Jalana help you while I go find Elaina and set some wheels moving." She then left the two alone.

"You didn't have to do this, Nick, I'm not exactly…normal." Jalana spoke softly with only one single light bulb to work by as the rest were burnt out.

"Oh, yes, I did. Elaina needs a lesson." He pushed Jalana's hair away from her face. "Besides, I kind of like you." Nick's voice softened and one would have thought he was at a dance -or something- rather than a prop room that smelled almost as bad as the attic had.

"Please don't joke, Nick, I don't think I can take it from you." Jalana's face stayed down as she sorted things out from the box.

"Who said I was joking?" Nick found himself not caring about her so called condition and kept a very seductive tone in his voice. "After this is over, think we could go somewhere before you take me home?"

"You asking me out on a date?" Jalana lifted her head and the Barkley rancher couldn't help but lean his forehead against hers.

"Ya, I'm asking you out." His offer was met with a small smile as Jalana held up a set of white plastic teeth.

"Here, put these in, if you need help just holler." The gal came close to slapping Nick when he started yelling, "HOLLER HOLLER." After that they two got serious and went over 'battle plans', a term Nick threw out.

)))))))))

Cracker Jack: I hope the descriptive words I used helped. Thanks for the input.


	4. Prank Begins

Fan-Fiction

Big Valley

I do not own the copyrights to Big Valley

Pay Backs

Scene Five

Sequel to Early Halloween Fun

"I don't see you why you need me to work this late." Elaina grumbled as Tauna let them into the barely lit theatre , and then opened the double doors to the auditorium.

The auditorium was almost pitch black, except the stage and there was a strange eerie sensation throughout the whole room. It didn't help that an old computer could be seen on the stage and a sound of someone tapping the keys could faintly be heard. Tauna was not phased by what she was hearing simply continued. However, Elaina started twitching as the sound made her nervous, as the sound was reminded her of horror movies she refused to watch.

"I told you, the director insisted we have everything ready by five a.m. and I can't do this by myself." Tauna's act proved why the theatre was the perfect place for her to be. The gal switched the brighter lights on once they got on the stage only to have them go out again and a loud groan come from the balcony, one which drowned out the tapping keyboard sound. It didn't help Elaina's rattled nerves.

"What's that?" Elaina's shoulders jerked and her head whipped around.

"I don't know, but I don't like the sound of it." The groan came again; the two girls looked towards the direction the awful sound was coming from and saw a set of dark red eyes staring down at them. Tauna let out a very loud, convincingly, frightened scream and ran down the aisle; she was almost to the door before Elaina could get out of shock even to start running herself. Unfortunately, she only got halfway up when Nick planted himself not two feet from her.

Nick's breath was cold, colder than it should have been. His face was lighter then when he'd been in the attic and his fingers appeared to be having a hard time staying straight. The eerie feeling that hung in the room grew ten-fold. "What? What hap…pp..en..ed to yy..ou?" Elaina quickly began backing up. If she'd bothered to look up she'd have seen a very faint wire which Nick had been attached to, but her eyes never strayed from the red-eyed creature she thought Nick had become.

"I decided I liked him; I didn't want to let him go." Jalana's voice from above made Elaina almost fall into the seat behind her. "So, I am in the process of …" Jalana looked down at her nails, "…changing him."

"You're in the process of doing what?" Elaina flew away from the chair and ran up to the stage as Nick 'flew' with the aid of Jalana, another fact missed by Elaina; she could only seem to see the red of his eyes. "Tauna will have our hides! You were just supposed to have some good old-fashioned fun getting to know someone you always wanted to meet and nothing more." Elaina's eyes were getting wilder by the minute.

"But I did, and we talked a lot." They had too, on their way back to the 21st century, at the house, and in the dressing room, but that was a fact Jalana wasn't going to hand over to this particular gal. "And I was so very hungry, and he's so….delicious." Jalana leaned up against Nick running the tips of her fingers down his neck. "I don't want to lose him….ever." Her face turned towards Elaina with her eyes narrowing "…thing is he's not quite a newborn, but already he knows he needs to drink." Her eyes darkened and Elaina didn't have to be told who he wanted to bite. The gal's screams filled the air, and she ran out the side door thinking to get away, only her shouts only got louder when Tauna walked around the darkened corner with a set of very red -hungry- eyes.

"When did you get bit!" Elaina was practically stumbling over her own feet as she headed down another hall which must have opened its arms wide for the suspenseful feeling which had now left the auditorium and entered into its domain.

"Just a few minutes ago, Seems that Nick wasn't the only one Jalana bit." At her words three other males stepped around the corner. Two of which were each holding one very frightened females begging not to be bit.

"The whole Barkley clan? Jalana what were you thinking!" Elaina's screams grew even louder and she found herself turning around and racing down the hall trying to find a way out. Once she was gone Tauna turned around.

"Here's each fifty bucks I owe you, told you those Barkley features would come in handy. Now go play someone besides Nick's relatives. And make sure you…" The gal spoke to the two female actresses. "…make sure those wigs get put back in the prop room. Along with all sets of red contacts."

"We will." With that Tauna slapped the money into the hands of the people she'd hired to play the part of Nick's family. "

All five kept the whistles they felt like sending through the air to themselves; that is, until they got into their cars that was one prank that was long over-due. The thespians may have been whistling, but Elaina was not. Every door she tried was locked, and every hall she went down had either Nick wanting her with Jalana telling him it was better to play cat-and-mouse before the meal, or Tauna leaning against the wall debating how to dispose of the body once their prey was dead.

"Dead?" Elaina gasped as she found her back up against the wall.

"Can't leave a witness now can I?" Jalana asked with a cocked head.

"Witness? To what? " Elaina gulped.

"To this…" Elaina's heart about stopped when Jalana pushed Nick against the wall, tilted his head and bit his neck.

Nick grabbed her sides and instead of screaming, begged for more. Not only was he begging Jalana to finish the job -and promising to be hers forever- he was pleading to have Elaina as his first meal. When Jalana lifted her head blood was sliding down Nick's neck, drops were dripping from Jalana's fangs, and Nick was running his tongue across his teeth while looking at Elaina with a look in his eyes that screamed he was beyond help. Elaina passed out.


	5. Freaking Elaina Out Even More

Fan-Fiction

Big Valley

I do not own the copyrights to Big Valley

Pay Backs 

Scene Six

Sequel to Early Halloween Fun

"She is going to crème us by the time we are done." Jalana chuckled as Nick laid Elaina in the back of her own truck.

"Let her; she deserves to have a taste of her own medicine." He then climbed in the back of the truck and found himself smiling as Jalana slid easily into the curve of his arm.

What they were doing may have been to teach Elaina a lesson, but he was quickly falling for Jalana. She was different, bright, and funny and (once you got past her quiet nature) was just as bullheaded as any member of the Barkley family; he'd seen that from the first talk they'd had coming back. He could easily picture her fitting into the family. A slight cool breeze began to blow as Nick held onto the bar above his head; Jalana kept her arms around him.

Nick and Jalana were in position when Elaina began to comprehend a truck was moving, and she was in the back. It was then the gal opened her eyes hoping what happened in the gym was a dream, and then she saw Nick and Jalana looking down at her. It made her hold her breath.

"Are you sure I can't bite her yet." Nick might as well have been drooling for the look he made sure stayed in his eyes screamed he might as well be looking at table set for a king.

"I told you, this way is better," Jalana answered as she slid her arms up around his neck, "besides, you promised me a kiss."

"Jalana…" Elaina gasped only to be ignored as the two embraced and Nick plant a very real and passionate kiss onto Jalana's lips. "Jalana…he's got to go back to the ranch! He can't be messing around with you!"

"Who says so?" Nick pulled away from Jalana with a fiery hiss to his voice.

"Maybe, I don't want to go back. Maybe, I rather like the idea of having Jalana around." The road they were traveling was one of the back roads and it may as well have been a spread-out accordion for as many bumps as they hit, causing Jalana to be held even closer to Nick.

"But…but…it can't be! You're part of the Barkley clan. You're family has got to be cured! Your mother and sister don't want to be vampires."

"They'll get used to it." Nick hissed loudly and dove for Elaina only to be stopped by Jalana within inches of the college student's face.

"Easy, Nick, you can't bite your meal quite yet." Elaina watched Jalana convince the hot-tempered rancher to pull back. "I have to bite you one more time, remember?"

"So, do it now." Nick growled as he continued staring at Elaina. "Then I can drain her."

"When we get to the attic. Her uncle has many tools there, ones which could come in quite handy." Jalana slid her hands to his open collar. "Then you can have your first real meal."

"Promise?" Nick turned his eyes away from Elaina and began to purr as he pulled Jalana close. "Promise me I get her, and then," he let his eyes wander over Jalana before resting his eyes back on hers, "we'll talk more." Elaina's stomach dropped as she could tell it wasn't talking Nick had in mind when he looked at Jalana, nor did it help her state of mind when Jalana began giving the man instructions on the best way to eat handle draining Elaina.

XXXXXXXX

"Jalana, you have to stop him. You can't do this." Elaina gasped once they were back in the attic -with her the one being in bonds.

"Why not? You've had plenty of life." Jalana was the only thing standing between the woman on the table, and the man biting at the bit. "Besides, he's been bitten three times already, not sure why he didn't change." She whirled around, jumped up and instantly had her feet wrapped around Nick's waist and her arms around his neck.

"Being around him is different." Jalana found herself really looking into Nick's eyes - a fact he instantly saw, but kept his mouth shut as he wanted to hear what she would say. "He doesn't scare easy, he didn't make fun of me, and he even helped feed me when I was too weak to stand on my own. He makes me laugh even though I get the feeling he'd make me want to knock him upside the head at the same time." Her voice caught and her mouth twisted. Nick simply held her as close to him as he could.

"Jalana, that doesn't mean you have the right to change him." Only to have Jalana snapping at her as the lady turned her head.

"Why not? You had your friends bite him, and you even got a taste. Now I get to finish what you three failed to do right." With that she began to lower her head.


	6. Promise

**Fan-Fiction **

**Big Valley **

**I **do** not own the copyrights to Big Valley **

**Pay Backs **

**Scene Seven**

**Sequel to Early Halloween Fun **

"Jalana! We didn't bite him!" Elaina screamed from the dusty table. Her scream got Jalana's head up and turned -though she kept her cheek on Nick's shoulder.

"You didn't what?" Both Nick and Jalana looked sternly at her.

"We didn't bite him, not really, we just bit into those packages I carry around for the fun of it." Elaina's voice shook.

"What about the deal you made with him?" Jalana started to lean up only to find Nick's hand refusing to move and -gently- pressing her to stay against him. It was if he didn't trust Elaina not to hurt her.

"I didn't think you'd change him." Elaina's eyes widened as she spoke. "Good grief, you said you were vegetarian. One cow should have been sufficient enough for a month at least."

"Bull crap!" Nick bellowed and got Jalana to sit on a chair as he leaned over Elaina. "She dam near died." He shoved his sleeve up and ripped off his dark bandana. "That bite was made _after _she bit and drank from an old cow; it was one of which _**I**_ insisted she take." His face was nowhere near pleasant as a dark storm cloud might as well have gathered over its domain.

"But that shouldn't have happened." Elaina's words got Nick to march over to the brown book, back over to the table and shove it close enough for Elaina to read. What she read horrified her.

"I didn't….I hadn't read that part, I didn't know Bernie had turned her like he'd turned Martha." Elaina instantly looked over at Jalana. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know it made a difference." Jalana was instantly by her side growling. "_You_ were supposed to have read all this and told me."

"So, now do you get to finish biting me?" Nick raced around the table to Jalana. "That way we can finish her off?"

"Mmmm…" Jalana's hesitation got Elaina to begging again. "Admit you went too far in not getting all your facts straight. And confess you need to watch your pranks closer." Jalana hissed.

"Yes, I should have been more cautious and will be more careful." Elaina's eye's kept darting between the two.

"Admit you can't take what you dish out so well either." Nick snapped hard.

"Uh?" Elaina grew confused until Tauna walk dimly lit the room and popped out her contacts and teeth. "You mean this…" Elaina's eye bulged out as Nick popped out his own set of 'extra's' and pulled of the blood package from his neck.

"Admit you are dishing out what you can't take; you went too far and that you promise me, not just Jalana, to reign things in - -or I'll order Jalana to finish what Tauna and I can't." Nick tossed the supplies onto Elaina's stomach.

"She wouldn't…." Elaina looked at Jalana who laid a hand on Nick's shoulder and leaned forward to her hissing.

"I'd do anything Nick Barkley told me to do." Jalana looked at Nick, love and admiration in her voice and in her eyes. "He's not like Bernie. He cares about me, not just as some freak to earn him a bunch of money. He didn't have to come with me here, but he chose to. We've talked plenty. That first bite wasn't in long to count towards changing him. Martha wouldn't do that to Adam, and I wouldn't do it to Nick. " Tauna and Nick knew this was not part of the act to teach Elaina a lesson. No, Jalana meant every word of what she'd just said; the couple had exchanged more information in a shorter amount of time than most people around them did in a lifetime.

"Okay, Okay, I admit I went too far. I promise to get my facts straight next time to." Nick looked at Jalana who shrugged her shoulders and told Tauna to let her loose-after they were gone.

**Epilogue**

"So, has Elaina behaved herself?" Nick asked as he leaned back against the haystack with Jalana; she was resting in the crook of arm. The moon was up once again and, while fall was slipping away, the night air managed to keep a chill away from the couple.

"Oh, ya, but I don't think she's happy I am now here for good." Jalana spoke softly as she touched the band on Nick's left hand. "She figures your family will stake me."

"They won't stake my wife." Nick pulled her close to his chest. "Remember Adam and Martha came out to make an official meeting, to explain everything to them in a way they could accept." It had been a nice visit; not to mention they'd given Jalana correct information on how to truly put her condition in 'remission'.

"But what if my …condition…comes back? What if your family finds out about what others call me? What if they question what they have been told? What…" Jalana never got further as Nick whispered low.

"I have always been honest with my family and having the Cartwrights tell them you have a rare blood disease the experts themselves can't totally cure - is no lie, and telling them the sun gives you massive migraines -like Martha- is no lie." He slid his other arm around her side pulled her even closer, "I don't think we need to tell anyone the label that has been put on you. Furthermore, the papers Tauna gave me are signed by official doctors of _this _time frame. That being the case, you are not in danger from being staked by them." Nick then growled softly, "Now, come here, I'm done talking."


End file.
